Typically, powder cosmetics may be in the form of loose powders or in a pressed powder compact. The loose powder or compact powder products are generally applied by means of a brush or other applicator by the consumer, although they can also be applied by rubbing the skin with fingertips. Loose powders are easy to apply and have high payoff because they do not contain heavy binders. However, they can be inconvenient to carry and messy to apply because of their low bulk density. Additionally, loose powders are expensive to ship and warehouse because of their high bulk volume.
A pressed powder (or compact powder) comprises pigments and fillers in powder form, and also includes one or more binders such as one or more oils or waxes that allow the mixture of pigments and fillers to be compressed within small trays. Whereas, although compact powders may be more convenient in terms of their packaging, storage and use, compact powders have low payoff, i.e., the ability to transfer the composition from the cosmetic compact to the applicator brush. Additionally, the compact powders are prone to drying out over time resulting in cracking. Compact powders are also prone to breaking, in particular when the cosmetic compact is subjected to strong impact, e.g., by dropping the compact.
Bead cosmetics are also known. Such known beads contain pigments, fillers, and fatty binders, and are made by extruding a pasty mixture of a fatty emulsion and powders at high pressure. See, e.g., WO 03/055453. Such beads are spherical in shape and tend to be harder than the pressed powders due to the high extrusion forces that are applied during manufacture, thereby reducing the payoff even more than the pressed powders. A known extruded bead is Arabian Glow Pearls sold by Avon Products, Inc. Cosmetic beads obtained through this extrusion process must contain additional ingredients such as for example waxes or fatty binders for structure. The method of preparing the conventional beads known in the art are time consuming, labor intensive, and expensive. These extruded conventional beads, which require a fatty component to permit extrusion, cannot claim to contain, for example 100% minerals. Because the extruded beads are hard, they exhibit low payoff, which some consumers find unattractive.
Therefore, there is a need for cosmetic beads that have a compact shape obtained without pressure compaction or paste extrusion as known in the art for pressed powders and that avoid the difficulties and inconveniences of loose powders.
It is an object of the disclosure to a obtain a highly efficient, fast and reproducible process to obtain beads or bead compositions which have the versatility of a loose powder but the convenience of a compact form.
It is another object of the disclosure to provide natural, irritant free translucent or colored beads that provide an even, sheer, and natural-looking coverage when topically applied. This is not possible in the traditional pressed powders due to the binders that are necessarily incorporated.
The foregoing discussion is presented solely to provide a better understanding of the nature of the problems confronting the art and should not be construed in any way as an admission as to prior art nor should the citation of any reference herein be construed as an admission that such reference constitutes “prior art” to the instant application.